This is a delightful anthropomorphic work in a charming binding quite unlike the dramatic cuir-ciselé productions for which Meunier (1865-1940) is famous, but which is quite appropriate for these lepidoptera fantasias. The style here is delicate and romantic, with graceful gilt tooling and elegant inlays. Meunier was legendary among French binders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries for his energy and imagination. Apprenticed to Gustave Bénard at the age of 11, he worked for a time in the atelier of Marius Michel, and then set up his own studio when he was 20. According to Duncan & De Bartha, he drew "on both traditional and modern techniques and forms of decoration, [mixing] classical punches . . . with newly fashionable incised and modelled leather panels." This eclectic approach did not lead to the kind of popularity enjoyed by some of our binder's most distinguished competitors, and partly as a protest in recognition of this, "Meunier declined to participate in the 1900 Exposition, as he felt that the Grand Prix would automatically be awarded to Marius Michel (which it was). He staged his own show at his studio on the Boulevard Malesherbes and received as much magazine coverage as the participants at the Exposition." He retired from active binding in 1920. Pierre Amédée Varin (1818-83) was the scion of a family of engravers and was particularly known for his imaginative illustrations of hybrid creatures and anthromorphic vegetables. While fanciful, the plates here also include realistic depictions of a variety of butterflies, identified by their scientific names. The fantastical tales by Meray and Nus were inspired by J. J. Grandville's "Les Métamorphoses de Jour" and by the fairy tales of Jacques Cazotte (1719-92), who appears as a character in the first story.(ST12435)